A Different Wentworth
by Wylde23Chylde
Summary: What if Bea never took over as Top Dog? What if she figured out what the Freak was up to before she set Bea up against Franky? What would happen then? This story is slightly AU, though it does follow the story line loosely. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of any recognizable characters within this story, I am just using them for my own amusement.**

 **A/N:** Now I am fully aware of how remiss I've been in updating my current stories, and I am extremely sorry about that. Life has been absolutely hectic so I had to take a longer break than I had planned. And when I finally get back into my writing groove it's with this new little story instead of an update on one of my other stories! This little story wormed it's way into my mind when I was on vacation a few weeks ago and watched a new TV show. Now anyone who has gone through Netflix thoroughly has probably come across this show, or if you've watched Orange is the New Black you've more than likely come across this show. The show I'm speaking of is called Wentworth, a TV show based around a women's maximum security prison in Australia. I don't know about anyone else but a woman with an accent? Absolutely sexy! If you haven't seen this show, I highly recommend watching it. Alright, let me get off this soapbox and get onto the story.

Now, I managed to watch all the seasons available on Netflix in a week bc this show sucks you right in. But after watching it a second time through I've thought about how the show could have played out if Bea and Franky were closer than in canon. So my idea for this story was to loosely follow the story line (bc it IS an absolutely fantastic one) but make it to where the two women work together from the beginning of season 2 and not let the Freak set them up against each other. As we all know words have different meaning around the world, and have their own slang, so here's a "word" key for anyone who doesn't know any possible words I might use within this story:

lag = snitch  
sook = softy, sensitive  
gobby = blowjob  
ta = either thanks or like a touche  
mate = friend  
pisshead = drunk  
slag = bitch  
slot = isolation  
governor = warden  
top dog = head prisoner  
gear = drugs  
piss off = fuck off  
arvo = afternoon  
agro = angry  
bash = beating  
screw = prison officer

There's a whole lot more but I'll just have to post this each chapter and add to it as needed. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The sunshine felt wonderful upon her face, as did the fresh air she breathed in. A few weeks in the slot will do that to someone. The redhead turned at the sound of her name being called.

"Hey, Bea!"

Bea Smith smiled when she saw Doreen and Liz headed her way. She gave a small chuckle as Liz wrapped her arms around her. She gave the blonde a brief hug before hugging Doreen.

"We thought for sure you'd be slotted for six weeks," Doreen commented.

"Ferguson cut me some slack," Bea replied softly.

"Better be careful, Bea, the women will start talking about the Governor playing favorites," Liz warned seriously.

Bea gave Liz a measuring look before giving a half smile. "Let them talk, it's not like it's much of a favor."

"You alright, Bea?"

"I don't think the Holts are going to take what I did lying down."

"You could have known that, love," Liz said after a moment. The sound of the gate opening drew their attention. "We've got a few newbies coming in."

Bea turned with everyone else in the yard to watch the three women being led to their new accommodations. She eyed them closely, mentally judging if they could be a threat to her. _Youngest one I've seen yet, looks scared out of her mind. Next. Hmm, transgender, head down mostly, timid. Nope, next. Looks like a junkie, has a cast all the way up her leg, usele - wait, she just put weight on that_ _leg with a cast_. _What is she playing at?_ Bea smirked slightly, the expression drawing raised eyebrows from Doreen and Liz.

"And what's that look for, mate?" Doreen asked curiously.

Bea turned to face the dark skinned woman, catching Franky's piercing look directed at her. "What look?" She kept her eyes locked on Franky's.

"That little smirk," Liz said, noticing the looks between the redhead and the Top Dog.

Bea finally looked away, looking at the blonde. "No reason, Liz, just a little thought I had." _Maybe Franky was right, maybe I am a player. But being Top Dog isn't worth all the shit that'll happen. Hmm, s'pose I'll have to think about how to play my hand. And since when do I have a bloody fuckin' hand?_ Bea shook her head, rolling her eyes at herself. She looked back towards the current Top Dog, catching her eyes once again and tilting her head towards the side, a nonverbal request for a meeting.

Franky gave a slight smile, her eyebrows rising in interest. She gave a slight nod, standing and making her way towards H2, looking back once to make sure Bea was following.

The redhead ignored Liz's narrowed eyes and followed after the brunette, eyes glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Entering her old unit Bea smirked to herself when she was immediately pulled into Franky's cell and slammed against the wall. "Bit paranoid, eh, Franky?"

"Maybe just a bit, Red, but tell me something: do I have reason to be, Red?"

Bea looked into the brunette's eyes, a slight smile upon her lips. "I've told you before, Franky, I don't want Top Dog, I'm no threat to you." She watched as Franky watched her, considering her words carefully before releasing her and stepping back. When she made to speak Bea held up a hand. "But Ferguson wants me to challenge you, to take over as Top Dog. She seems to think I could take you on."

Franky scoffed slightly to hid her surprise. "Why does she want you as Top Dog, Red? What could you possibly give her?"

"Because she knows my view on drugs," Bea offered slowly. "She thinks that if I take over all her problems will be solved, at least on the drug front. And if I were so inclined to be Top Dog, she's right. I bloody hate the drugs and what they can do to people. But I don't want to be Top Dog, but I can't exactly tell the Governor that. So, I need your help in figuring out how to deal with the Freak."

Franky gave a short laugh, "The Freak, eh?" Stepping back she took a seat on her bed, motioning for Bea to take a seat as well. Leaning back she ran her hands through her hair, mind racing with possible solutions. _Why does Ferg - the Freak want me out of the way? Does she see me as a threat? And why Red? I mean, yea, she's real popular with the rest of the women, hell I wouldn't mind her being Top Dog. Especially after her retaliation against Jacs and everything she's done for me._ "Why does the Freak want me out of the way?"

Bea sighed deeply, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm not completely sure, Franky, the only thing she's really said is that she wants your supply gone. Personally, I do too, but that's not important right now." _What if we could make the Freak think her plans are working? Make her think I'm Top Dog and Franky's out of the picture?_

"Hey, Red, lets take a bit to come up with a plan. Let the Freak work on turning you, it should give us enough time to get our shit sorted."

"Yea, sounds good. Just know that anything I do against you is all a part of our game. I'm not looking to be Top Dog, too much shit to deal with." Bea stood and started towards the door before looking back at the brunette. "The only way this will work is if this stays between the two of us and we have an open line of communication. No more lying between us, Franky."

Franky stood and walked towards the redhead, holding her hand out. "No more lies, Red."

Bea shook the brunette's hand and turned to leave but stopped once more. "I need you to get me a weapon, the Holts have put a hit out on me. Can you help get me one?"

"Damn, Red, you sure don't do things by halves," Franky laughed, eyeing her new mate up and down. "Any ideas on who it is? Simmo, perhaps?"

Bea hesitated slightly before reminding herself of their deal. "It's not Simmo, she's the one that told me of the hit. And for the record, I did help Simmo that night, I stopped Boomer from knee-capping her."

"Why the bloody hell did you do that for? Did you forget that slag is the one who gave you this scar?" Franky demanded in her Top Dog voice, raising her hand and caressing the light pink scar on Bea's forehead.

Bea closed her eyes as soft fingers caressed over her forehead. "I bloody well know that, thank you. But I also know Jacs was the driving force behind the attack, which might I also add was in your defense." She opened her eyes, her angry brown orbs locking onto Franky's. "I helped Simmo because the attack was the wrong thing to do, and because I needed her to get to Brayden. She was my only link, and I kinda burnt that bridge." Bea reached up and grabbed Franky's hand, pulling it away from her face but keeping hold of it.

Franky tightened her hold on Bea's hand, "I'm sorry, Red. And you're right, about the attack, it wasn't right." Pulling the startled redhead into a tight hug she whispered, "We're in this together, Red. We won't let that Freak break us."

Bea smiled through her tears. "Who would of thought that the Top Dog was such a sook?"

Franky laughed, pushing the redhead away playfully. "Piss off, Red." Wiping both of their tears away the Top Dog gave Bea one more hug before pulling away completely. "Get going, Red, and watch your back, eh?"

"Easier said than done in this place," Bea retorted as she walked out of the unit. A few minutes later she arrived back in her unit, only to stop short when she saw Simmo sitting at the table. "Shit," she whispered as Simmo's eyes found her.

"You fucking bitch, you used me!" Simmo spat as she stood slowly obviously still feeling the bashing from a week ago. "You planned that from the start, didn't you? Apologize my arse."

"Yea, I planned it. Sorry to involve you like that, though," Bea replied quietly, moving to sit across from the woman. They chatted for a bit, coming to an agreement of watching each other's backs, Bea omitting her alliance with Franky. She knew deep down that after the Holt's first attempt on her life failed, they would put it on Simmo to complete. The redhead excused herself after a while and disappeared into her cell, dropping down onto her bed and picking up her sketch pad, her hand moving seamlessly as she sketched out a strikingly accurate portrait of Simmo. After final count that evening Bea lay on her bed, thinking over the eventful day she'd had, a small genuine smile gracing her lips at the thought of Franky and their new alliance/friendship. "Get ready for all hell to break loose, you fuckin' Freak."

* * *

During the next week Bea made sure to have visible spats with Franky in front of the guards, but always managing to meet with the Top Dog every night to discuss their plans for the Freak. When the garden detail was happening Bea kept quiet and was always watching the other women, noticing Franky's dealings with the bloke from Walford. She also noticed Liz throwing suspicious glances Franky's way and towards the garden shed. The redhead was aware of the gear being brought in and of the 'Pink Dragon' that was being brought in. She stayed back when the incident in the shed happened, watching as Boomer entered the shed and gathered up the gear before the screws could raid the shed. As Boomer went to pass her, she shot her hand out.

"Don't get caught, Booms." Boomer nodded with a grin. Out of the corner of her eye Bea watched the interaction between Doreen and Taylor. _Something to keep in mind._ She slowly followed after the others back inside, stopping by H2 only to see Liz entering Boomer's cell and searching through it intently. The redhead sighed quietly before hiding in Franky's cell until Liz was gone from the unit. Quietly she exited Franky's cell and entered Boomer's, immediately going to the mattress and pulling the sheet up, reaching into the corner and pulling out the gear Boomer had saved for Franky. Pocketing the stash she darted from the unit, intent on catching Liz before she could do something stupid. She caught the older blonde just before she could enter the hallway leading to the Governor's office.

"Liz!"

The blonde stopped short at the sound of Bea's voice. "Oh, Bea, was there something you needed?"

Bea closed the distance between them, glancing towards the officer escorting Liz, Miss Miles. "Can we have a minute?" When the blonde officer nodded and moved a few feet away the redhead turned to Liz, an intense look entering her brown orbs. "You need to think very carefully about what you are about to do, Liz. Because this isn't just anybody you're planning on lagging on; it's Franky. The Freak will not keep your identity in confidence, Liz, she will make is obvious that it was you. Whatever my problems with Franky are, I would never lag on her." With those last words Bea turned and walked away.

Liz watched her walk away, only just now realizing what she was about to do. "Miss Miles, I've changed my mind. I don't need to see the Governor today." As she was led back to H Block, Liz let her mind ponder over Bea's words. _Why is she concerned about Franky? Aren't they fighting over Top Dog?_

Later on that night Bea slipped into H2 and walked up to Franky, bending down to whisper, "Meet me in the showers in 10 minutes, we need to talk."

When the redhead pulled away Franky commented, "I always knew you wanted me, Red."

Catching the brunette's playful smirk Bea scoffed, "Piss off, Franks." She smirked at her friend before leaving the unit, heading back to her cell to grab the gear she stole from Boomer and then towards the showers. Entering the empty shower block she headed towards the benches by the sinks, sitting down and leaning back, closing her eyes as she waited for Franky. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt a body straddle her and felt warm breath upon her face. Opening her eyes she was met with the playful gaze of Franky. "Oi, what you playin' at?"

"Relax, Red," Franky laughed quietly. "Just in case someone comes in, they'll think we're gettin' it on. So, what's up, Red?"

"That gear, from the shed, Boomer saved it for you. Only problem is that she told Liz and Liz raided Boomer's cell for the gear, found it and then decided to go to the Governor." Bea paused, her arms shooting out to wrap around Franky's waist, keeping her on her lap when she made to get up. Meeting Franky's angry and hurt gaze she continued "Just hear me out, yea? I was watching her from your cell and when she left, I went in and got the gear out of Boomer's cell. Then I went after Liz and told her to think very carefully about what she was about to do, that it was you she was going to lag on. Told her that even after all we've been through that I'd never lag on you. I left her there to make her choice."

"I can't - " Franky stopped short, tears filling her eyes and spilling over. "I can't believe she'd do that to me. It's not even about the drugs, it's that it's me." Franky clamped up, her tears falling faster.

Bea reached up and cupped her friend's cheeks, wiping her tears away gently. "You know it was her thinking that it was the right thing. She really cares about the women here, she doesn't want anymore deaths because of the gear." The redhead smiled tenderly at the brunette, wiping the last of her tears away. "Liz loves you, honey, give her the time to own up to her almost mistake, yea?"

Franky closed her eyes, sighing softly at the redhead's gentle touch. She's never been this close to someone else before, never trusted another quite like she trusts Bea Smith. Opening her eyes she leaned forward and gently kissed Bea, pulling away after a moment. "Thank you, Bea."

Though shocked by the gentle kiss Bea smiled, "You are very welcome, Franky." The sudden opening of the door startled them, Bea pulling Franky closer to her again, one of her hands sliding down to Franky's waist, pulling her closer, as her other hand guided Franky's face into her neck. Bea looked towards the door, catching the startled gaze of one of the newbies, the young one. She nodded back towards the door, smirking when the girl left in a hurry. "Poor new girl, she'll probably be scared to come in here again."

Franky chuckled, pulling away. She studied the redhead closely, her smile slowly disappearing. "What are we going to do about the gear, Red? You were right before, it has to stop."

Bea gazed at the brunette in shock, hardly believing what she heard. "Are you serious, Franks? Like for real?"

"Yea, Red, I'm serious."

"And here I was thinking I'd have to talk you into my plan." Bea wrapped both arms back around the brunette's waist.

"What's your plan?"

"First a question: besides you, who has the highest supply available to them?"

"Tina from C Block," Franky replied immediately. "Regardless of what the Asian crew says, Cindy Lou isn't the mouthpiece, Tina is."

"Exactly," the redhead said with a smile. "Now, what would happen if it were to be revealed that she was sitting on a large stash of gear but not willing to sell it to any junkies?"

"She'd be bashed real good, no one would trust her with gear anymore," the brunette said, a smirk growing on her lips.

"Correct again, my devious friend," Bea grinned, squeezing the Top Dog's waist. "But we have to do one better, Franky. We need to completely cut her supply off, because we both know that the junkies would eventually come crawling back to Mercado."

"Yea, reckon you're right," Franky agreed.

 _"Attention compound, attention compound, final count will commence in five minutes."_

"Looks like our time is up, Red," the brunette said, sliding off of Bea's lap to stand before her. Offering her hands, she pulled the redhead up and into a hug. "Stay safe, Red."

"Same to you, mate," Bea retorted, squeezing the brunette once more before pulling away. "By the way, the junkie with the cast is the one the Holts hired."

Franky laughed out in surprise, "Well you're just full of surprises, ain't ya? I always knew you were a player."

"Honestly, Franky, I was made into a player. By both you and Jacs, mostly Jacs though. I never wanted to be in the game, I just wanted to go back home to Debbie. And then Jacs took her away, just like that." Bea ignored the few tears that fell, eyes staying locked on Franky's. "Lets get out of here, don't want to miss count and raise suspicions."

* * *

A few days later the attempt on Bea's life happened. The redhead was finished showering and starting to get dressed when her shower curtain was ripped to the side and the junkie, sans cast, came at her with a knife. Throwing her arms up defensively Bea gritted her teeth as the blade sliced through first one arm and then the other in quick succession. When the knife came down again Bea caught her attacker's wrist with both hands. It was only thanks to her stepping up her workout routine that allowed the redhead to firmly catch and hold the junkie's arm, shooting her foot out to kick the blonde in the stomach. When the blonde stumbled back, Bea got to her feet quickly and reached for her robe, digging into the pocket to pull out the shiv Franky had given her.

The junkie quickly regained her bearings and dove towards the redhead, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back, wrapping her free arm around Bea's neck. Raising her weapon she made a move towards the redhead's neck, intent on fulfilling the Holt's request. Bea moved one hand up to the arm around her throat while her other hand turned the shiv around and jabbed it into her attacker, causing the blonde to yelp and flinch away. Spinning around Bea lunged at the junkie and plunged the shiv into the blonde's stomach again before landing a punch across her jaw, knocking her out cold. With her attacker out of commission, Bea backed up until she hit a wall and slowly slid down until she was sitting, a bruise already forming around her throat and blood running freely down her arms from the deep cuts. She didn't look up when the door opened and multiple gasps filled the silence.

"Holy fuck, Red," Franky breathed out shakily, immediately dropping her shower gear and rushing to Bea's side. Pulling her hoodie off she ripped it apart, tying two pieces around both gashes. Once she was sure the cloth was tied tightly Franky glanced towards the unconscious attacker. "You did good, Red."

Bea gave a raspy chuckle, "Fuck off, lezzo." She glanced towards the door, seeing the other two newbies, Doreen and Boomer. "Hey, Dor, mind hitting that panic button, eh? Could use a screw or two right now." As Doreen hesitantly moved to the panic button Bea turned back to Franky, discreetly passing her the shiv. "Plant that in the bitch's cell, yea? Just clean it first."

Smirking at the redhead the Top Dog nodded, pocketing the weapon. Reaching up she gently traced the forming bruise around Bea's neck. "She got in a few good licks, didn't she? Fucking slag

"Sook," Bea teased, the alarm finally going off. Her eyes drooped closed tiredly, her body fighting to shut down due to blood loss.

Franky began to panic when she noticed Bea sliding into unconsciousness. "Red! Red! Dammit, Bea, you need to stay awake!" The brunette glanced up, ignoring Doreen's curious gaze. "Where the hell are the screws?" Just as the words left her mouth the shower door banged open, officers Miles and Bennett entering quickly.

"Alright, everyone move back, stand against the wall," Bennett ordered sternly, motioning for Miles to check on the unconscious woman. Kneeling down next to Bea she reached out to feel for a pulse. Finding one she shook the redhead awake. "Smith, Smith can you hear me?"

Bea opened her eyes slowly, it taking a minute to focus on the Deputy Governor. "Miss Bennett, how might I help you?"

"What happened here, Smith?"

Bea stared at the officer for a moment, her mind clearing slightly. She glanced at Franky, raising an eyebrow in question, when the Top Dog nodded her permission the redhead looked back at Bennett. "That bitch came at me with a fuckin' knife she pulled out of her fuckin' cast. Which was fake, by the fuckin' way."

Bennett ignored the snickering of Doyle and Boomer, surprised Bea had actually answered. "And the stab wounds on her?"

"Had to fight back, didn't I? Wasn't about to let that slag kill me."

Bennett nodded, helping the redhead to stand. "Doyle, help me get Smith to Medical. Miss Miles, call for Mr. Jackson and have him carry Kat to Medical please."

Franky stepped back next to Boomer for a second to pass the shiv to her. "Clean it and plant it in the junkie's cell." Stepping up next to Bennett and Bea the brunette pulled the redhead into her, wrapping Bea's arm around her shoulders while her own went around Bea's waist. "Lets go get you patched up, eh, Red?"

Bea nodded sluggishly, allowing the brunette to lead her out of the showers. Resting her head on Franky's shoulder she said, "I think the Freak is going to move against you soon, but I'm not sure what. She has suspicions that you were the one behind the gear drop box but can't prove it without the gear. We need to start the plan on Tina, make sure to plant the gear and then let it slip to Miles. We could always use a screw on our side."

"I'll plant it tomorrow, Red, don't worry. Is it still hidden in our hideaway?"

"Yea, still there," the redhead confirmed, ignoring the stares from the women they passed. "Now that the Holts original plan failed, they're most likely to put it on Simmo to complete, so we'll see what happens."

Franky glared at the staring women, daring them to make a comment. "Simmo might be a lot of things but a killer isn't one of them." Reaching Medical the brunette waited for Bennett to open the door and then led Bea inside, placing her on the first bed they came to. Once Bea was settled Franky moved to stand in front of her, reaching for her left arm and removing the makeshift bandage, doing the same for her right arm. She looked at both arms carefully, only just realizing how defined the redhead's muscles were. "I knew you'd started running but lifting too?"

"Well, 'it's better than being a weak piece of shit'," the injured woman quoted the Top Dog's words back to her.

"Ta," the brunette replied with a smile. They looked to the door when it opened and Mr. Jackson walked in carrying the junkie.

"Doyle, back to your unit," Bennett ordered.

"Sure thing, Miss B," Franky said, winking at the redhead before leaving.

"Alright, Smith, start from the beginning. Tell us what happened."

Bea moved to lay down, closing her eyes and explaining the attack in full detail, omitting the fact that she'd known beforehand about an attack and that she'd been armed as well. She could tell from their faces that they were shocked she was actually answering their questions instead of ignoring them. As they were discussing the attack Nurse Atkins was busy cleaning and bandaging Bea's arms, then checking over her throat before going to the junkie's side and checking her over.

An hour later found Bea alone in Medical, Nurse Atkins confining her there until the next morning. With her eyes closed she didn't see the tall form of the Governor entering Medical, but she did hear her as she walked closer to the bed. Opening her eyes she met the dark gaze of the other woman.

"The prisoner who attacked you has been moved into isolation, attempted murder added to her charges."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I have updated Ch. 1, so if you're coming straight into this chapter and it seems like there's a gap in the story, it's bc I wasn't satisfied with how I left Ch. 1 and added a bit to it to round it up, as it were. Also, I'm not writing in Simmo's death, just know that she died like in the show and Franky and Bea know that it was the Freak.

Now, I managed to watch all the seasons available on Netflix in a week bc this show sucks you right in. But after watching it a second time through I've thought about how the show could have played out if Bea and Franky were closer than in canon. So my idea for this story was to loosely follow the story line (bc it IS an absolutely fantastic one) but make it to where the two women work together from the beginning of season 2 and not let the Freak set them up against each other. As we all know words have different meaning around the world, and have their own slang, so here's a "word" key for anyone who doesn't know any possible words I might use within this story:

lag = snitch  
sook = softy, sensitive  
gobby = blowjob  
ta = either thanks or like a touche  
mate = friend  
pisshead = drunk  
slag = bitch  
slot = isolation  
governor = warden  
top dog = head prisoner  
gear = drugs  
piss off = fuck off  
arvo = afternoon  
agro = angry  
bash = beating  
screw = prison officer  
rooting = sex  
crook = sick  
top oneself = suicide  
shat - shit

There's a whole lot more but I'll just have to post this each chapter and add to it as needed. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Bea stayed silent for a moment, thinking quickly. "I was thinking of waiting until Liz got out on parole, that way I could move back into H2. Shake things up a bit for Franky." _Not to mention it's give us more time to plan without prying eyes._

"Hmm, not too bad a plan, a bit more lengthy than I would like. What other plans do you have in regard to Doyle?"

"Nothing concrete right now, just a few thoughts on how to end her supply."

"Easy, find me proof that she was behind the drop box in the shed. Then I can slot her for a long enough time that the other women will start looking elsewhere for leadership. Not to mention it would add years onto her sentence."

Bea forced herself to nod, "That could work, but I don't even know if she had anything to do with the shed ordeal. There's more than one woman that's bringing gear in."

"While that is true, only Doyle is intelligent enough to come up with a plan like that," Ferguson said with a trace of disdain. "Oh, I almost forgot: do you know why Birdsworth never made it to her appointment with me recently? I checked the cameras; you had a word with her and then she never showed up."

"I didn't know Liz had a meeting with you," the redhead lied, a look of confused surprise covering her face. "That was the day of the incident in the shed, wasn't it? I was just asking her if she'd known anything about what had actually happened. I'm still not clear on what _did_ happen."

"If you go by Doyle's story, Bates was trying to rape her so she stabbed him in the genitalia. Bates is saying Doyle came onto him and then attacked him. I'm far more inclined to believe Bates over Doyle."

The redhead scoffed out a laugh, narrowing her eyes slightly at the Freak. "You couldn't be more wrong, Ferguson. Everyone here, officer and prisoner, knows Franky is a lezzo. No way would she come onto that bloke."

"Sticking up for Doyle?" Ferguson mocked lightly. "Do try not to take too long with taking care of Doyle."

Bea glared after the Freak as she walked out. _Bloody bitch, thinks she's in complete control. Don't get comfortable, Freak, pretty soon you'll be gone._ Turning her attention away from the door Bea looked around the empty room, getting up to stretch her legs a bit. With the camera she knew she couldn't do anything but as she paced around she thought about her next moves. _How are we going to shut down Mercado? Getting her slotted for a while will only go so far, create doubt in the women about Mercado's willingness to sell the gear. But as Franky and I shutdown the supply, the junkies will come crawling back to her. So what would take Mercado out for good, short of killing her? There is always blackmail or coercion, but again that's not a permanent solution. So what? What can we possibly do to shut her down?_ Bea stopped pacing and moved to lay back down, closing her eyes and letting herself relax, slowly drifting off.

The next few weeks leading up to Liz's parole seemed to fly by for Bea, the redhead making more public stands against Franky and her crew, and making headway with gaining the other women's trust and respect. Two days after Bea's overnight stay in Medical, Franky made sure Miles was within ear shot before she talked to Boomer about the gear Mercado had just gotten in and had stashed in her cell. A few hours later almost the entire prison watched as the Asian dealer was dragged to the slot, Miles holding several large bags of gear as she led the way, a smirk upon her lips.

Everyone was convinced that the two secret friends were enemies, especially the Freak. So much so that when Liz was waling out of the gates she stopped in front of Bea, the redhead approaching the fence, a small smile on her lips.

"You stay safe out there, you hear?"

"I will," Liz promised. She glanced back at Franky, noticing her intense stare. "For what it's worth, Jacs didn't kill Meg: Franky did."

Bea flinched back slightly, a fake look of shock covering her face as she glanced towards Mr. Jackson. "What?" She was Liz nod slightly before moving on, glancing towards the Top Dog after Liz left her line of sight. She raised an eyebrow at the brunette before turning and leaving the yard, looking back once to make sure Franky was following. Entering H2 she moved into Franky's cell and made herself comfortable on the brunette's bed. She smiled when said brunette entered a few minutes later and sat herself beside the redhead.

"What's up, Red? What did Birdie tell you?" the Top Dog asked curiously.

"Liz kindly informed me that it was you that killed Meg Jackson, not Jacs." Bea sighed softly, laying her head on Franky's shoulder. "Our plan is really working, everyone truly believes we're enemies. I've been working the other women, gaining their trust and respect, so if we were to play it so I take over as Top Dog, I wouldn't have a lot of objection from the women. But I really don't want that position, I'd really rather be in the background."

Wrapping an arm around the redhead's waist Franky sighed quietly. "I know, hon, I know. Maybe we could go with one of your original plans: you unofficially being the public Top Dog, but in reality I'll be Top Dog. Or we could both be Top Dog."

Cuddling into the brunette Bea closed her eyes, letting herself relax. "That could be fun, the both of us being bad-asses and ruling this place. At least until we got out." In nearly a whisper she murmured, "If I ever make it out of here, what with my plans to kill that fucker."

Franky tightened her hold on the redhead. "We are both making it out of this shithole, Bea. Even if that means that fucker gets to live for just a bit longer. Because I won't let you end up a lifer here. I promise you that, Red."

"Thank you," the redhead whispered gratefully, tightening her own hold on her friend.

Franky shifted them so that they were lying down, the redhead wrapped in the brunette's arms. Resting their foreheads together Franky whispered, "Close your eyes, hon, lets take a nap. No one will come looking for either of us for a while." She felt Bea nod tiredly, completely relaxing into her as their eyes slid closed and they fell into a restful sleep.

A few hours later the two women were jolted awake when the sound of raised voices entered the unit. Bea tried to sit up, to see what was going on, but an arm around her waist kept her from going anywhere. Reaching down to Franky's arm the redhead rubbed it lightly. "Up and at 'em, Top Dog, we've got company in the unit."

"Noo," Franky mumbled, burrowing closer to Bea. Boomer's voice yelling through the unit caused Franky to jolt up in shock. "Fuck, does she have to bloody yell all the bloody time?"

Bea laughed, patting the brunette's arm. "You know you love her, Franks. Now get up, lazy arse."

Franky shoved the redhead playfully, getting up and stretching slowly. Holding her hands out she pulled Bea up, watching with a smile as the redhead stretched like a feline. Heading over to the door she looked out though the crack to see Boomer, Dor, Sky and Jess, one of Bea's unit mates, sitting around the table, talking and laughing. Turning to look back at Bea she asked, "Shall we join the party, Red?"

"Sure," Bea said following Franky out of her cell and into the unit. She smirked slightly at the shocked looks she received as they joined the table. "What are you all on about?"

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Boomer asked bluntly, shocked.

"Don't worry about it, Booms," Franky ordered as the two sat with the others.

Bea looked to Jess, "How's Maxine doin'?"

"She still keeping to the unit but that tea cozy you gave her has helped a lot. I reckon she'll be mingling within the next week or so," the young girl replied with a tentative smile.

"Good," the redhead commented, smiling at the girl. "So, Dor, how's the mornings going for you? Still crook?"

"Yea, sometimes, but I can actually eat most mornings."

"I remember the first trimester with Debbie, little bugger made it almost impossible to hold down food," Bea shared with a chuckle, a smile lingering on her lips as she remembered her little girl. Bea stayed with H2 for a couple of hours before she stood slowly, "Work detail starts soon, might as well start on our way, eh. Jess, walk with me."

"Oh, okay," the girl hesitated slightly before standing and following after the redhead. She stayed quiet as she walked beside her intimidating unit mate.

"You doin' alright, Jess? Any problems with the other women?"

"It's going as good as it can, I suppose. I've been left alone for the most part." She paused, looking up at the redhead. "What's going on, Bea? Why are you asking after me and Maxie? Not to mention your regular meetings with our very own Top Dog?"

Bea faltered slightly at the young girl's words before regaining her balance. Turning to look the the brunette she chuckled lightly. "I had you pegged as someone that didn't pay attention to those around you and didn't know what was going on. I guess it really is the quiet ones you have to watch." The redhead stepped closer to the brunette and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, turning her head slightly to whisper, "We'll talk later, after final count. I've got something I need you to do for me."

Later that night after final count Bea sat with Jess in the young brunette's cell, trying to decide how much to tell the girl and where to start. "Franky and I are allies, I guess you could call it, since the day you and Maxie arrived actually. We made a pact to watch each others backs and to destroy the Freak, Ferguson. She wants me to challenge Franky and take her out." Bea paused to look at the young girl.

"Why does Ferguson want you as Top Dog?"

"We think it's because of my no drugs policy, but I also think it's because the Freak thinks I'm easily manipulated, easily controlled," Bea explained quietly.

"Huh, makes sense, I reckon. I head when you first came back you were quite out of it, Fergie must have thought that made you easy prey. But what made you change, though?"

"Liz did, actually. After I killed Jacs they kept me sedated because I had a slight mental breakdown, when I was sedated I could see and talk to Debbie, my daughter. When Liz caught me with some sedatives she told me to find a reason, any reason to go on, to stop taking the sedatives, and I did. I found my reason for still being here: I promised myself I was going to kill the fucker that killed my daughter." Bea paused again, wiping away an errant tear. "That's why I hate the gear, because Brayden gave Debbie a hotshot, causing her to OD."

Jess nodded slightly, moving to give the redhead a hug. "Can you tell me about her sometime? Your daughter?"

"Maybe, Jess," Bea sighed quietly. "You actually remind me of her sometimes."

Jess smiled to herself, relaxing against the older woman. "Tell me about what you need me to do."

Bea spent the next half hour detailing her plan out for the brunette, pausing every now and then to clarify a point or to answer any questions Jess had. By the end of the explanation all Jess could do was stare at the redhead, completely dumbfounded by the depth of her plan and the many different back-up plans the redhead had come up with in case not everything worked out the way she hoped. After several minutes of staring at Bea in utter disbelief Jess asked softly, "Have you ever been told you have a very, very devious mind? I mean fuck, Bea, that's one bloody awesome plan!"

A few days later the garden and the shed were bulldozed while the women involved in the project were forced to watch. Bea was walking behind Franky when Doreen came up and accused the brunette of being the reason behind the garden's destruction. When the dark-skinned woman moved away angrily Bea caught up to the Top Dog. "Don't pay much attention to her, it's the hormones. Although, we both are to blame for the Freak destroying the garden."

"Too right, Red," Franky scoffed lightly. "So, shall we start planning for your move into H2?"

"Nah, lets let the Freak handle that one. For right now, I think we should just let things run as they will. I'm so bloody tired from all our planning."

Franky wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulder. "Aww, is my poor little Red worn out?"

"Fuck off," Bea said, shoving Franky off of her. "We do need to iron out our plans for Brayden, though."

"We will, Red, don't worry."

The next day a mandatory drug test for all prisoners was announced. Bea followed after one of the screws on her way to Medical, mentally rolling her eyes at her forced participation. The redhead looked at the door to Medical when it opened, raising an eyebrow when Jess walked out. She reached out and grabbed the young brunette, pulling her closer.

"Go find Dor, tell her that when they drug test it can reveal if someone's pregnant. Since you're clean, offer to cover for her with the test but use Maxie's," Bea whispered quickly before she was pulled away and pushed through the open Medical door. Bea glared at the screw until he removed his hand from her arm. _Ha, screw actually looks scared of me._

She moved to Nurse Atkins and grabbed the cup out of her hand. "Don't you have a fun job for today, eh, love?"

Nurse Atkins laughed softly, "Highlight of my day, Smith. You know the drill."

"Yea, yea," Bea muttered quietly, moving off to the curtained off area. A few minutes later she was leaving Medical, heading back to H4 to find Jess and see how everything went. As soon as she entered the unit Jess stepped out of her room, a smile on her lips.

"Yea?" Bea asked.

"Yea," the young brunette replied. "Why did you want to use Maxie's?"

"Don't worry about it for now, Jess," Bea said. _I figure about three days to get the results back revealing Dor used someone else's piss, resulting in Maxie's HRT being stopped. I send her to Franky for the drugs meaning she joins Franky's crew and then we'll see from there._ "Stick close to Dor for a few days, but know that you'll be the target for her ire when the results come back. Don't take it personally, though."

Jess nodded slightly, "I kinda figured that. Well, I'm heading off."

"Alright, be safe," Bea murmured as Jess passed her. She headed into her cell, laying down with her arms behind her head and closing her eyes, relaxing. As she started drifting off she felt a familiar body climb onto the bed and snuggle up to her.

"Rest up, Red, we've got a few hours before lunch," Franky whispered softly, urging the redhead back to sleep.

A couple of hours later Bea woke to find Franky still beside her napping lightly. _Who would have thought that after the shit I went through my first year in here, I would be this close to Franky? Fuck, I'm surprised she even let me in after all we've been through. But then she did admit after I got out of Medical after Jacs' attack that no one had ever done anything like what I did for her. And I know she crushed Jacs' hand for me. Maybe, just bloody maybe, we can win against the Freak._

"You're thinking too loud, Red," a husky voice mumbled sleepily.

Bea chuckled softly, opening her eyes to glance down to where the brunette was snuggled against her chest. Reaching up with the arm situated under Franky she started running her fingers through the brunette's hair. "Bit tired, eh?"

"Well, I wasn't but you were kinda comfy." The Top Dog lifted her head slightly to look at the redhead, a playful smirk on her lips. "Say, Red, you sure you've never played for my team? 'Cuz you seem mighty comfortable to be cuddling with another woman."

Bea smirked down at the brunette, her brown eyes shining in amusement. "I don't recall ever saying I'd never been with a woman before, Franky. If you'll remember, I avoided answering your proposition." Just then the announcement for the start of work detail sounded. "Looks like it's time to go."

Franky gaped at the redhead in complete shock as she got up and stretched. "Y-you can't just leave me bloody hangin'. Details woman!"

"Sorry, mate, but we've got to go," Bea replied before quickly leaving her cell and heading towards the laundry, laughing as the brunette gave chase.

* * *

 **A/N:** I had originally planned to have Bea's full plan detailed out in the chapter but kind of changed my mind at the last second. I might put it in later on in the story as a flashback while she's talking to Franky but don't know for sure yet. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little addition. As always, feel free to let me know what you think: whether you didn't like a part or if you think a part could have been added or expanded upon, etc..


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